Work is underway on the final phase of the redevelopment of Dewi Sant Health Park in Pontypridd.
The second phase of the work will continue to bring together a range of health and social services under one roof, including community dentistry, mental health and substance misuse services and a newly refurbished diagnostic radiology suite.
The work follows the successful completion of phase one of the development which saw a GP surgery move into the building, alongside services including Sexual Health, the @Home service, and third sector organisations who run workshops and courses from the health park’s Primary Care Resource Centre.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board was awarded £1.5m for the first phase of the project in November 2016. The second and final phase, enabled with £8m of Welsh Government funding, is expected to be completed by summer 2021.
Julie Denley, Director of Primary, Community and Mental Health Services at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to continue the fantastic work at Dewi Sant. The first phase of the development has enabled us to provide more care for patients, closer to their homes and work with local authority and third sector partners to ensure we provide people with the best possible standard of care and support.
“This ongoing work will ensure that there are better links between all our services so that patients are seen quickly by the appropriate specialists in one place.”
Internal demolition work of the remaining former ward layouts on the first and second floors began in the summer, with the areas now being redesigned to accommodate new services. Earlier this year a new Bar Barista coffee shop, dedicated bariatric clinic rooms for lymphedema and other patients and modernisation of public areas were also completed.
As part of the development work an Arts Steering Group has been established to involve staff, local groups and individuals in helping to design suitable artwork, colour schemes and directional mapping.
The building will also house Podiatry Services and the District Nursing teams with services expected to be transferred next year.
Dewi Sant Hospital was built in the 1970s. As one of the oldest hospitals in Cwm Taf Morgannwg’s estate, the modernisation will bring about health and social care services that are more closely aligned with the needs of the population of Taff Ely today.
The model will be similar to that of the health board’s flagship Keir Hardie University Health Park in Merthyr Tydfil – the first integrated health park of its kind in Wales.
